This novella was atmospheric and felt like a Victorian Gothic, but there was very little setting information and I finally decided it was a Gaslamp genre that seemed a bit Alsatian (purely due to names), except it was on the water. Madame Elinor Chalamet is an interesting and feisty character who speaks with the dead and is honest to a fault. Tristan Fontaine, Duke de Archambeau, is attached to the local constabulary or police station and investigates high-level crimes. The first time they meet is at the Alenbonne morgue along with a detective, the coroner, and another medium. The Duke doesn't believe in mediums and thinks they are all con-artists, although he seems to think Elinor might be different after she gets relevant information from a murdered man. As she gets involved in a high-level secret case, the Duke puts under house arrest in his house. Elinor finds all kinds of ways around his house arrest and spends almost as much time outside the house as in and I don't blame her considering how his sister and mother treat her. Elinor continues seeing clients and gets roped into helping the owner of restaurant with a ghost, which has a funny outcome when the Duke bursts in and gets possessed by a lovelorn ghost which results in their first kiss. While working with the Duke solving the case, Elinor also receives clues into the unsolved murder of her father years ago, This is a relatively short book that leaves you wanting more. There was one problem for me however and the reason I took a star off. This may seem minor to most people but it kept pulling me out of the story, so it was a problem. I have one disclaimer first, I received this book from NetGalley and it's possible this was an unedited version of the book, but it did not say it was and all my other ARC's say they're unedited. My problem had to do with the names and I believe translations. It was mainly the use of MySir, What? Did the author split Monsieur into two and do a literal translation? Instead of using Mister or just Sir, which is the true translation. This may not sound like a big deal, but there were a lot of them and every single time it bugged me and therefore pulled me out of the story. The other thing was the reference to the Duke and his name and wrong usage there. MySir de Duke. Why English and French? Even still - use it correctly de is of, so she's saying Sir of Duke. It should be Sir le Duke (Sir the Duke.) This may seem picky, but it was used so much that I couldn't forget about it. This leaves me with a quandary - I love the story and want to read more, but do I want to pay for a book that may have issues that annoy me? Maybe I'll try the next one and hope this one was unedited.

I liked this one. It was a nice cozy mystery with some fantasy mixed in. I liked Elinor Chalamet as a ghost talker, and how she solves mysteries. I liked the setting, it reminded me of Enola Holmes, but it just was not Enola Holmes. The fantasy aspect was a bit out there for me, I am just not into fantasy right now. I am not sure if I am going to continue with this series.

So fun! This is like a combination of Amanda Quick and Phryne Fisher-in a world where supernatural beings exist, the heroine is an outspoken breath of fresh air in stuffy Victorian society. I found myself drawn in immediately and plowed through this book in a day and can't wait to read the rest of the series. Maybe (?) in future books we'll add some hot Duke romance to the urban fantasy mystery that I love so much!

The premise of this was good, and it had a good start. But somehow, the mystery seemed to get muddled in the middle and I lost interest. The paranormal mystery flavor of this book will appeal to others, but I really hoped for a stronger mystery.

I actually really enjoyed this book even though some of the French names were a little difficult for this English girl to pronounce.

It’s a gentle story of a Ghost Talker who is asked to assist in finding a stolen tiara for the King via a gruff Duke who has a soft-centre.

The two lead characters seem to have a bond created by this mystery of the tiara.

There are some areas of this book that make me giggle and the ending leaves you in a state of “Will they or Won’t they?” when it comes to Elinor and the Duke. This is why I’ve asked for the second book in this series…… so I can find out if they finally admit their attraction.

This was a fun cosy and quick ghost mystery and the first of the Madame Chalamet Ghost Mysteries series. Set in an alternate Victorian world with a strong female lead with a mix of paranormal and romance - what's not to love. The writing is so intriguing and whilst staying historically true to a Victorian timeline (minus the ghosts) there's a refreshing humour and banter between the characters making this a really fun read. I would recommend for when you just want something light-hearted and quick, and I will definitely be checking out the rest of the series.

Elinor Chalamet’s talent to speak with the dead may have landed her in the soup.

My first read from Byrd Nash and certainly not my last. This read was entertaining and a fun cozy ghost mystery. It's one of those reads you can sit down with and enjoy without having to analyze. I was invested in this novella and curious to see what would happen next.

I would highly recommend this novella to anyone who likes a slow burn mystery with a little romance. I can't wait to read more!

Many thanks to the author, NetGalley and Rook and Castle Press for providing the free arc for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

Ghost Talker is the first book I’ve ready by this author, and I really enjoyed the storyline and the characters. My favorite of course, is Elinor. She’s an amateur sleuth who uses her “skills” to find the person that killed her father.

Intriguing, the story is captivating and one I highly recommend.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for an entertaining read with a touch of humor and intrigue. While it may not be the most profound or thought-provoking book out there, it certainly kept me entertained throughout the ghost adventure.

The book starts off with witty dark humor that sets the tone for the rest of the story. The writing style is simple and often includes stereotypical quirks and expressions, which work well to describe the main characters. Although the book doesn't rely on deeper conversations.

Despite this, I found myself invested in the story and curious to see how it would unfold. I also appreciated the author's attention to detail, especially during the description of natural scenes, as it helped to create a vivid and immersive world

Overall, I would classify this book as entertainment value, as the main characters each have a role and accomplish it, but not much else. The story's intrigue forces a proximity between the characters that I found a bit too obvious. Honestly, I was expecting more, so it left me a bit disappointed but I’m sure many people will enjoy the intrigue.

I really enjoyed this paranormal mystery. The interplay between Elinor and the Duke is authentic and playful. The paranormal element was pretty fun, and I got a kick out of them knocking fake ghost talkers. There is creative interaction with the other side, and the supporting cast of characters works together to round out the story. The romance part is an incredibly slow burn - candle barely lit by the end of the story, so no scorching scenes here. I found Elinor's innocence, culture, confidence and strength so refreshing - she is a great character! I look forward to continuing the series!

In Alenbonné, Elinor Chalamet uses her skill as a medium to hunt for her father's killer when a body is found. This seems to work well until Tristan Fontaine, the Duke de Archambeau, takes over the case and places her under house arrest.

This is the first volume of the Madame Chalamet series, a six-volume gaslamp fantasy series. It combines ghosts, the Victorian era's sensibilities, and the detective skills of Sherlock Holmes. At a short 41,000 words, it's a quick read and an introduction to the rest of the world of the series. The Duke takes great pleasure in denouncing frauds, and he considers Elinor to be one such fraud. She does have actual ability, however, and correctly identified the body, which then put her under royal jurisdiction ahead of a trade agreement between nations. We see her work as a ghost talker for her usual clientele as well as tracking down the body's killer.

I enjoyed Elinor and her no-nonsense stance, especially as she refuses to be intimidated by the nobility. Tristan has his own secrets, which likely get revealed in future stories of the series. It's a fun jaunt into a world of ghosts, possessions, and the social mores that we usually see in Regency or Victorian-era stories. I'll definitely be looking into the rest of the series.

4.5/5⭐️

OK, I started out with zero expectations here not knowing anything about this book and ended up really, really enjoying it…so much so that I went immediately and read the next two in series (unfortunately the 4th is not out until April 🤣). Don’t you just love being surprised by a book? These are called novellas and are 170-190 pages each so my only disappointment is that they weren’t all full-length novels (or maybe there will be a ton of them 🤞).

Elinor Chalamet as a ghost talker is a wonderfully quirky and spunky (and funny) character. I felt for her tragic background story but was so admiring of her strength and fortitude in forging ahead with her life.

There’s mystery, a slow-burn
romance and an interesting, well-fleshed out fantasy world to discover bit by bit as we go along. These books are fast reads so if you’re into fantasy/ghosts or just fun adventures, you might want to give this series a try. I’m glad I did.

My sincere thanks to the author, NetGalley and Rook and Castle Press for providing the free arc for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

Mystery set in an alternate Victorian world where ghosts are standard, as are people who can talk to them. Short novella, with well-sketched main protagonist, a lady detective in the mold of Sherlock Holmes, though her powers of observation stem from her ghost-talker status. A princely Duke makes for a good odd couple, working-relationship/potential romance plot. Light, quick read.

paranormal, mystery, historical-fiction, supernatural, ghosts, law-enforcement, aristocrat, urban-fantasy, romantic, suspense, new-series, first-in-series, haunt, curse, verbal-humor, gaslamp-fantasy, banter*****

Suspend disbelief and have a wonderfully fun read.
Elinor Chalamet (Ghost Talker and member of the Morpheus Society) is an interesting character of quick wit who intuits some deductions from acute observations.
Tristan Fontaine, Duke de Archambeau ("fixer" for the King) does not trust her yet needs what she knows.
It's not really France, and the time frame is historic but indistinct.
There are murders and other mysteries to solve!
I requested and received a free e-book copy from Rook and Castle Press/Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Titles via NetGalley. Thank you!

Elinor can speak to the dead…and that can be a good thing, or a bad things depending on who you ask. And when she is deemed a loose end by the government, it’s a very bad thing for Elinor. Now she and her friends need to figure out who killed her father and the Duke’s wife to figure out what she knows that is worth killing for!

A great start to a great series. I like shorter, quick reads when life is busy and this was just the ticket for me this week! A well mapped out story and lots of paranormal intrigue to keep you turned the pages! Loved it and read the first three and ned more!

This first in a six part series introduces Elinor Chalamet, a Ghost Talker and member of the Morpheus Society who assists the police, from time to time, and Tristan Fontaine, Duke de Archambeau and "fixer" for the King. When a body is discovered in the canal, the police welcome Elinor's assistance in accessing the dead man's last moments of life, at least until Archambeau, who has had less than stellar experiences with mediums, shows up and places her under house arrest. Of course, that does not deter Elinor, and she will solve this mystery, either with or in spite of Archambeau.

This book took me outside my comfort zone. The characters are intelligent, the dialogue witty, and the setting completely fictional. Alenbonne' is a lovely coastal city in the country of Sarnesse.. The time frame is unknown, but seems to draw on characteristics of England and France from the 1830's to turn of the 20th century. The fantasy setting provides considerable leeway with respect to historical accuracy. For instance allowing Elinor, who is also the daughter of a master jeweler, to identify a "Princess" cut diamond, even though that cut did not exist in our reality until 1979. So, to enjoy this book, the reader must suspend reality more than in other genres.

I enjoyed this book, particularly Elinor and Archambeau, and the potential/slow burn romance that may be kindled between the two. I am moving on to the next 2 books in the series and will see how this develops.

REVIEW
A very big thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this wonderful ARC.
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This genre is one of my favorites and I loved these books. I read all three in one day!
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I loved the storyline, I've never seen ghosts or the supernatural described in this realistic way, this series has the best supernatural world building.
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I really liked Madame Chalamet too, she's such a wonderful woman and you can't just help but like her. I love the chemistry between her and the Duke, it's so cute!
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I also loved the mystery, Suspense and other characters. Although the books are short, they were still very good
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My only problem is that I'd have loved it if there was a year listed and a glossary because I was not familiar with some terms and the places
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All in all, the author did a wonderful job and I'm definitely looking forward to reading the next books in the series, I can't wait for their release! You should also read them now!

This was as fun little read! If you like historical romance-mysteries and alternate universes like Genevieve Cogman's "The Invisible Library" series or Gail Carriger's "Parasol Protectorate," this will be right up your alley. It's a quick read with great characters, plot and dialogue. I'm in it for the slow-burn romance and ghosts!

Elinor Chalamet can speak to the dead and now she is a loose end for government agent Tristan Fontain, the Duke de Archambeau to tie up. Elinor is now in possession of sensitive information that could jeopardize a peace treaty between her country and another. She and the Duke, along with her childhood friend Jacques, team up to find a missing cursed tiara and solve the murder of Giles Monet, the King's wayward relative.

There are also the mysteries of Elinor's father's murder and the Duke's wife's murder to dig into. Plus a very haunted ducal home with stories of its own. There are plenty of unanswered questions by the end to keep your interest peaked for future installments.

I don’t really like when a book takes place in a past-like setting, but I do take a chance once in a while. And, sometimes when I take a chance, it works out like it did in this case. I requested this book on a whim, and I was almost immediately hooked. Elinor is a very self-assured character especially considering the time. I love how she’s secure in who she is, and I love the characters that surround her including her love interest Tristan. This is a fun, interesting, well-written series opener, and I immediately went and requested the next two that are available at the moment. Highly recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.

I've never read anything by this author before, therefore I'm a first-time reader. I enjoy mysteries and ghost stories, so I was quite impressed by the premise. Excellent characters and a compelling plot make for a fascinating read. You will become engrossed right away in this short read. I highly recommend this series.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the copy to read and review.